Planned intervention, to participate in the meeting of the Springfields Site Stakeholder Group, as part of the 2015/2016 Intervention Programme

Site: Springfields

IR number: 15-002

Date: April 2015

LC numbers: N/A

Executive summary

Purpose of intervention

A planned intervention was made at Springfields, to participate in a meeting of the Springfields Site Stakeholder Group.

Intervention Carried Out by ONR

I participated in a planned meeting of the Springfields Site Stakeholder Group, primarily to report on ONR interventions at Springfields over the preceding six months. Two ONR observers, (the site radioactive materials transport inspector and a communications adviser) also observed the meeting.

Explanation of Judgement if Safety System Not Judged to be Adequate

Not applicable.

Key Findings, Inspector's Opinions and Reasons for Judgements Made

I summarised ONR interventions at the Springfields site, over the period October 2014 to March 2015, detailed in the quarterly reports, which had been sent to the members of the Stakeholder Group prior to the meeting. Some queries from local Councillors on aspects of recent ONR interventions were satisfactorily addressed.

I also outlined the priorities of ONR regulation of the Springfields licensee, including the importance attached by ONR to the licensee completing the hazard reduction work of legacy uranic residue processing, (both Springfields residues and uranic residues from other licensed sites) over the next three years. This was subject to adequate funding from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, for the operation of the ageing facilities at Springfields, which were a unique national asset, albeit that they were rapidly approaching the end of their operational lifetime.

Conclusion of Intervention

I concluded that this was a constructive, effective and open meeting of the Springfields Site Stakeholder Group, attended by a range of representatives of the local community. I primarily summarised ONR interventions at Springfields over the preceding six months and addressed a number of queries from local Councillors.